Musical Changes
by sunshineisdelicious
Summary: This little ficlet is somewhat inspired by the movie Moulin Rouge and the fact that in it, Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan) is in love with a character named Satine (the Duchess' name is definitely a reference). No one dies of tuberculosis, though. Also, no one's a prostitute. Actually, the plot of the movie isn't relevant at all. Just know: romance, drama, Obi-Wan singing epic love songs.
1. Chapter 1

The clones were the first to discover the movie. There was a group of them that met to talk about the newest movies released, and this particular movie was a romantic-tragedy musical that they almost unanimously agreed was the best of the year.

The other clones took some persuading to watch it, although it did help that one of the characters was obviously based on a Mandalorian and two others on the Jedi. Some of them scoffed at the "monks" guarding the "princess" and loudly pointed out all the things the movie got wrong (while the rest of them told them to _shut up, I can't hear the song_).

It was only a matter of time before the Jedi themselves heard about it. Ahsoka, hanging out with some of the clones in between missions, overheard an argument about the ending of the movie (namely, did it have to end so sadly?). They quickly pulled up the movie on a personal holo someone had and Ahsoka laughed with them at the monks' "laser staves" and the variety of innuendos about them and sighed at the tragic end of the forbidden relationship. (Rex wanted to smack a few heads together when he found out—the movie was _very adults-only_.)

Anakin overheard Ahsoka talking with the clones about the possibility of a sequel for the movie and was almost immediately dragged off to see it. Anakin, a sucker for dramatic romance, was actually in tears as the movie ended, loudly lamenting the traditions that kept the lovers apart (the clones were all very proud of themselves for not bursting out laughing—their general was obviously thinking about his own "secret" relationship).

It was during one of the rewatches that Anakin realized why the main character was frustrating him so badly (_just tell her how you feel!_). He reminded him of Obi-Wan. Once he had that thought, it was impossible to see anything else. The snark, the impossible poise, the earnest dedication to doing the right thing. At one point, the character even said "Another happy landing" when the "Elder Monk" crashed the ship they were running from bounty hunters in—a favorite quip of Obi-Wan's when Anakin had one of his more unfortunate landings.

Once he made that connection, it was easy enough to trace the "Elder Monk" to Master Qui-Gon, and the "princess" to Duchess Satine. Hadn't Obi-Wan said he had been on a mission to protect the duchess for a year? The movie was just like he had described the mission: on the run from bounty-hunters, living hand-to-mouth. And Anakin couldn't help but remember what he'd overheard Obi-Wan say when the duchess had been held captive on her ship: "Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order." The way the movie ended, with desperate longing (both of the lovers singing "I will love you 'til my dying day" while the other walked away), had Anakin wanting to pull his hair out at the complete lack of communication. It seemed to match Obi-Wan's declaration exactly.

Which left Anakin with an interesting problem. Did he tell Obi-Wan about the movie?

In the end, he didn't have to. Obi-Wan saw the movie when he went to visit the clones and didn't seem inclined to talk about it at all, even though Anakin was dying to ask him about how true-to-life the movie was.

It was actually this frustration that sparked an idea. If both of them still loved each other so much...wouldn't they be happier together? They probably just needed some more time together, maybe with some pushes in the right direction.

_Let the plotting begin!_


	2. Chapter 2

Obi-Wan had the slightly unsettling feeling that people were watching him.

That was not unusual. He had the dubious honor of being the Chosen One's teacher, and one of the youngest human Jedi Council members in history, and a High General in a war he felt in no way qualified to lead. Everywhere he went, people were watching him, be they Jedi, clones, or civilians.

This, though...this was different.

He would enter a room and voices would hush. Again, not too strange (the clones valued their privacy, however little they got), but the _smiles_—that was odd. Like he was about to be pranked. He was on guard for shenanigans for a few hours after, but nothing would happen.

Then it started happening on the council. He'd say something innocuous (like "I believe relationships between the Jedi and heads of state should be improved"), and the other council members would look at each other and grin.

He was starting to feel self-conscious in a way he hadn't since he was a new padawan, checking his robes and hair much more often, making sure no food stuck in his teeth, thinking before saying _anything_. He was trying to be mature about this, to let the discomfort pass over him. After all, Anakin was usually the paranoid one. If he was, in fact, being mocked by everyone he knew, he figured he'd be better off not knowing.

Unless...was this about that _blasted_ film? The musical, the one that was so blatantly based on his own life that he was legitimately surprised no one had brought it up to him. Suddenly the looks and laughter were so much worse. Was the council planning a reprimand, then? They usually looked the other way with romantic relationships (Anakin being the most obvious example), but with such a public thing, how could they ignore it?

And then came _the mission_.

"Thought deeply, I have, about your suggestion to improve relations," Yoda told him one day after a council meeting. The diminutive master chortled a little, then went on. "Agree, I do. Command us, the Senate does, not to mediate or negotiate without their approval. But speak for us, the Senate does not. Always for peace, the Jedi have strived. Too often for power, the government reaches. Even now, in the midst of war." He sighed, and Obi-Wan wondered how it would be too live long enough to see so many generations, and what patterns would repeat themselves.

"So...we are ignoring the Senate's command, then?"

Yoda sighed again, his eyes far away. "Too tangled up, I believe, we are in this war. Too far from our values, we have strayed."

"Master Yoda, that's not—"

"Hm. Know, I do, of what I speak." Yoda turned, and that wistful gaze was gone. His eyes seemed to look straight through to Obi-Wan's soul, to every doubt Obi-Wan held about the war. Then he smiled, eyes sparkling with what Obi-Wan hoped wasn't mischief. "Odd, it is, what helps us find our way."

"Master?"

"Hm. Irrelevant, it is. Now!" Yoda tapped his gimer stick against the tiled floor. "A new mission, I have for you."

Obi-Wan didn't show the slight dismay he felt at hearing that. _A new mission? We just got back!_

"Relaxing, it should be. Good for you, it will be."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Relaxing, Master Yoda?"

"Important, it is. But no Separatists shall you fight."

"So...a diplomatic mission." Yoda nodded. "A mission...unapproved by the Senate." Yoda nodded again. "What if the Senate finds out?"

"Hm. Stop us, they cannot," Yoda said with a grin. "Armies, we have."

That...was a slightly worrying thought.

"To Mandalore, you will go."

And suddenly all Obi-Wan could think of was Satine. Which was a bit of a problem, since he was suddenly certain this mission was of utmost importance.

"The Neutral Systems, I believe, a great help to us will be. Convince them, you must, that determined to end this war, the Jedi are. Their help, we will require, if peace, we are to negotiate."

And Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. "We...we're ending the war?"

Well. Satine would certainly be surprised.


	3. Chapter 3

"Surprised" nicely summed up the entirety of Satine's existence at the moment.

Surprised to see Obi-Wan again so soon.

Surprised that he seemed to have brought his padawan and grandpadawan and at least 50 clones to Mandalore.

Surprised to hear their plea to speak to the Neutral Systems on behalf of the Jedi Order, and _only _the Jedi Order—not the Senate—about ending the war.

No surprise showed, of course. She presented every bit the cool, yet fierce persona of the Duchess of a warrior people who had decided to stop murdering indiscriminately but could certainly start right up again if provoked. Usually this was enough to deter the more light-minded folks, but she noticed there was rather a lot of smiling and nudging going on between the padawans and the clones. And some humming? She hadn't known the clones were into singing or other fine arts, but they were people, after all. Even if the songs they sung seemed to make everyone who heard them start laughing at some inside joke.

At least Obi-Wan was taking her seriously.

Actually, he seemed entirely too serious for the situation. It was a momentous decision, to be sure, but one that would bring peace and safety to the galaxy. Obi-Wan wasn't even smiling. Usually there was at least a hint of humor in his eyes, or a quirked brow, or any number of tells, but all were absent now. Only Jedi Master Kenobi had made an appearance, and absolutely none of her gentle, irreverent Obi had bothered to say hello.

She'd always believed this war would destroy him. She'd just expected it to be physical.

But there was work to do. It took a bit of sweet talking and comprising about weaponry (the Jedi could keep their lightsabers if set to a non-lethal setting, the soldiers could keep their guns if set to a stun frequency), a bit of creative thinking regarding housing (the second ballroom in the Sundari palace was now a makeshift barracks), and some dinner plans to discuss the best way to approach the Neutral Systems (she may represent them, but they were quite the diverse group), but eventually the unexpected guests were settled in.

She saw Obi-Wan next at dinner. He looked a bit frazzled now, which she supposed was technically an improvement over the slightly robotic manner from earlier. The two other Jedi—Anakin and Ahsoka, if she remembered correctly—were still grinning as they stood on either side of him. She was about to invite them all to sit when Anakin suddenly stepped back and bowed.

"Your grace, I've suddenly remembered that I've forgotten to...um, discuss...inventory with...Captain Rex. Yes. It's quite urgent. So I actually won't be able to stay for the meal." He started to head for the door, giving Ahsoka a significant look.

The padawan looked confused for a moment before straightening and saying, "Oh! Yes. And I need to help. Because. I'm still learning. And. It's urgent, yes."

Satine blinked. "Certainly. I supposed we can reschedule the planning—"

"No!" Anakin cried before clearing his throat. "Ah, that is, no, that won't be necessary. Master Kenobi can still stay, and you can talk. With him. Over dinner." He was backing away now, dragging the smaller Togruta along with him. "Enjoy the meal!" he said with a smile, then shut the door behind them.

Satine wondered what in the world that could have been about for only a moment. Experience had shown her that people, Jedi especially, often acted strange in ways that didn't necessarily concern her. Turning to Obi-Wan, she smiled. "Well. Shall we eat, then?"

His answering smile was strained. "Of course." He waved a hand towards the table. "After you, my de—that is, your grace."

To say the meal was awkward would not be a stretch by any means. Obi-Wan would seem to relax, start to say something, joking or even flirting, only to stop himself and revert back to cool formality. All the while, the bewildered look never left his eyes.

It broke her heart. What had happened to her dear Obi-Wan to set him so off-kilter? She had always admired his level-headedness, even when they had been young and perhaps a bit silly in love. He seemed so sure of where he stood in the galaxy. His conviction influenced her own—she knew she was a better person for having known and loved this man, that she was more willing to be firm in her beliefs. Now, though, he seemed like he was barely keeping himself together.

She decided to delay any actual planning until the next day. Maybe a good night's sleep would help him recenter himself. After all, they needed to be at their best—they had a war to end.


	4. Chapter 4

Ahsoka thought their plan was going quite well. The Duchess and Master Obi-Wan had been spending most of every day together, and yeah, sure, they were probably just discussing political things, but they were together! She and Anakin had managed to be there as little as possible (no heart-to-hearts would happen with them in the room, after all, even if they were _dying_ to know if any romantic progress had been made), which had the unintended effect of Anakin basically taking care of all the troop housekeeping that Master Obi-Wan usually did so said Master didn't get too suspicious, which had the additional unintentional effect of making Anakin crankier than usual (it was hilarious, but only from a distance—cranky Masters meant lots of lightsaber drills).

Which, incidentally, was why she was now sneaking around the palace. Anakin couldn't make her do more drills if he couldn't find her!

Besides, they'd been here a week and she'd hardly seen any of the grand structure. How fair was that? It didn't seem like they'd be leaving anytime soon, either; romance always happened so quickly in movies, and it was usually so obvious. And yes, movies weren't real life and all, but _still_.

So she slinked around corners and into the various fancy rooms, her mind going through The Musical's epic finale song that always got stuck in her head ("Never knew I could feel like this, like I'd never seen the sky before"), all the while projecting "nothing to see here" into the Force around her.

It was when she was looking at one of the murals that a voice called out, "Hi, Ahsoka!" She jumped and spun around to see Korkie, the Duchess's nephew, smiling at her.

She relaxed a little. "Oh, Korkie. Hi."

He walked over to stand next to her by the mural. "Finally getting the grand tour?"

"Kind of?" She laughed. "I, uh, might be trying to hide from Master Skywalker and extra practice."

He nodded with a very serious expression. "Ah. I see. Well, I happen to be Mandalorian, you know, and if there's one thing we're good at, it's messing with Jedi."

Ahsoka squinted at him.

He coughed. "And by that I mean I'll help you hide. Show you around, maybe?"

She smiled. "Sounds good to me."

They walked around, talking about whatever they thought the other might be able to relate to and admiring the unique architecture of the building. Ahsoka was contemplating bringing up The Musical and asking if he wanted to watch it with her-he seemed like he'd be on board with Operation: Real-Life Happy Ending, but she couldn't be sure, especially when he was so closely related. Maybe they could just watch, and if he brought up the similarities himself, well...

The sun was setting as Korkie took her to the gardens, a massive, landscaped greenhouse. "This is one of my aunt's favorite places," he explained, "and—"

Ahsoka suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him down behind a shrub. She shushed his indignant protest. "Look!" she hissed, pointing in the direction of two approaching people.

He peeked around the bush and his eyebrows rose. "Oh, it's just Auntie. Why—?"

"Shh!" She tugged him back so he was completely behind the bush again. "She's with Master Kenobi!"

Korkie looked confused. "Um, yes? Weren't you only avoiding Skywalker?"

"Yes! Well, kind of." Here goes nothing. "We've, ah, been trying to sort of set them up. Your aunt and Master Kenobi."

"Oh." He sat still for a moment, then smiled. "I'm in."

She blinked. "What?"

"I'm in. I want to help." He was grinning now.

Ahsoka grinned back. Movie night tonight! The troopers would be thrilled. "Okay, then. So, we've been trying to give them a lot of time alone."

"So, don't interrupt their garden walk?" She nodded. They both settled down a bit more to wait for the adults to pass.

Except they didn't. Apparently, there was a bench right on the other side of their hidey-shrub, and they heard a gentle voice say, "Won't you sit with me, Obi?" They looked at each other with wide eyes as the unsuspecting Duchess and Jedi took a seat. Ahsoka quickly gathered the "nothing to see here" again and let it fall over Korkie as well (Master Obi-Wan might sense them otherwise, and that would be a _disaster_).

It was quiet for a moment. Then Master Obi-Wan said, "The gardens are beautiful."

Satine hummed. "Thank you. It's been quite the endeavor. It gives me hope that Mandalore will be a living planet once again."

It sounded like someone shifted a bit and then they were quiet again. Awkward tension filled the air and Ahsoka wanted to be very far away.

At length, the Duchess cleared her throat lightly. "Obi, I have...something I wish to discuss with you."

"Oh?" was the somewhat vague reply. Ahsoka frowned. Why was Master Obi-Wan acting so...distant? She could understand being embarrassed in front of others, but as far as she knew, he thought they were alone. Anakin had been so sure that his Master was head-over-heels for the Duchess. Had they been wrong?

"Yes. I...well, I'm concerned about you." Rustling fabric. "You haven't been yourself at all since you came here."

Master Obi-Wan gave a little chuckle. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, your grace." Or maybe this was him trying to deflect. It'd be so like him, to have love right in front of him and deny it. Ahsoka resisted the urge to sigh dramatically.

"There! Right there, you called me 'your grace' even though we're alone." Ahsoka bit her lip and avoided looking at Korkie so she didn't give them away by laughing—alone indeed. "I don't think you've said my name the whole time you've been here. And...I'm worried, Obi. You're obviously exhausted, but you won't rest properly. Surely you know you're safe here?"

"Of course, your grace, I—"

"Please, say my name. I'm not a duchess, not when we're like this."

There was silence again. Then a sigh. "Very well...Satine."

The Duchess hummed happily. "There, see? Not so very hard, now, was it?" Master Obi-Wan huffed. "Now that we're back on a first name basis, like I was saying—I'm worried about you." The concern and sincerity in her voice was obvious, and Ahsoka immediately felt a million times worse about overhearing. This was a _private conversation_, and Master Obi-Wan would be _mortified_ if he knew there were eavesdroppers, she just knew it.

"There's no need to—"

"There _is_ a need, though. I know you, darling, and I can see that this war has...broken something in you." Ahsoka frowned. Master Obi-Wan was acting like he always had, ever since Ahsoka had first known him. What was the Duchess talking about?

"Satine, I'm hardly—"

"Shush. Let me speak. You carry burdens you were never meant to bear, and it's wearing you down, wearing down your very soul. You've been fighting a war you struggle to believe in, always doing your best but never able to be proud of what you've done. I can see that. I...you know I would never ask this of you, but...darling, Obi-Wan, my love, please—"

"Duchess!" called a voice from one of the doors to the gardens. "Duchess, the representatives have arrived and await you in the throne room."

Ahsoka heard the Duchess sigh. "Obi-Wan," the Duchess started before she was cut off by Master Obi-Wan standing up.

"Shall we be going, then, Duchess?"

Silence, then a resigned, "Yes. Yes, I suppose so."

They walked away, leaving behind two very confused and frustrated teenagers. Obviously, there was a lot more planning to do. Obi-Wan and Satine were never going to get together if left to themselves.


	5. Chapter 5

"We're watching the musical!"

Cody looked up from the report he was reviewing and sighed.

He could understand wanting to get Obi-Wan and Satine together (again, if General Skywalker was correct about the infamous musical actually being based on real events). They were cute together, in a very "proper" kind of way. There was trust, respect, and affection between them, all good foundations for building a romantic relationship.

(Had he looked up some advice on healthy human romantic relationships while waiting for anything to happen? Yes.

Were the two lovebirds taking their sweet time? Yes.)

He also understood how important the upcoming negotiations were for the future of the Republic.

He could do without the _constant musical _business, though.

If his troops weren't watching it, they talked about it. If they weren't talking about it, they were singing the songs.

His men seem to have decided that this "mission," Operation: Real Happy Ending or whatever it was called, was of utmost importance, only barely second to the _actual war _they were fighting in.

To be fair, this assignment was very casual. No fighting. Just guard duty rotation that they worked out with the palace guards, which was very boring the vast majority of the time.

And it wasn't as if they could force anyone fall in love. Well, fall in love again.

Still, it was nice to have something fun to do with his brothers, especially when the generals were occupied in a meeting with the Jedi Council, so he set down the report, grabbed the blanket off his cot, and walked over to the little "theater" area some brothers had set up. Some cots had been commandeered as benches for the back "rows," and pillows and blankets made cozy little nests on the floor, all facing one panel of blank wall in the ballroom-barracks where a projector was set up.

As he settled on one of the benches next to some of his troops, he was surprised to see a new face. A blonde teen was walking next to Ahsoka, who was introducing him around. He looked familiar…

And he jumped to his feet when he realized it was the Duchess's nephew. They might technically be off-duty, but that was no excuse to be so rude as to ignore someone so important.

Ahsoka smiled at him as he approached. "Commander Cody! Korkie's going to join us for movie night!"

Cody greeted Korkie, who was very polite if a little overwhelmed, then raised an eyebrow at the togruta. "I still don't think you're old enough to watch this musical."

Ashoka scoffed and waved her hands. "You and Rex, ugh. It's totally legal, and my Master's fine with it!"

Cody shook his head. "Well, that's on him, then. Korkie, make yourself at home." And he walked back to his seat. He watched the two teens get settled, some of the more friendly brothers getting Korkie to relax, and then the musical started.

It was fairly typical for a bunch of clones watching something—noisy talking, loud shushing that was worse than the talking, laughing, singing along, singing along _very badly_…

Cody's position near the back of the "theater" meant he could keep an eye on the door to the hall. He was mostly keeping an eye out for his general, and was a bit surprised to see the Duchess peek around the side.

_Oh no. _

He wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't like it was obvious that this story was based on reality, right? General Skywalker and some other Jedi had basically confirmed it, but it didn't mean the the Duchess would know off the bat. Maybe if he snuck away and sort of redirected her, there wouldn't even be a chance of recognition. She was probably looking for Korkie, and he could let her know he'd escort the boy back himself.

He tried to escape the blanket wrapped around his legs and keep an eye on the Duchess. He had to hurry, but not be obvious.

The musical was about a third of the way done, with the two protagonists arguing about the morals of pacifism.

_Why did she have to look for Korkie right _now_?_

The dialogue was almost word-for-word Duchess Kryze philosophy versus traditional Jedi teachings. If there was something the politically-savvy Duchess would recognize, it would probably be this.

Sure enough, her eyes grew wide and she tucked herself a bit more behind the door. The argument went on until it was interrupted by the older monk, who cautioned his two charges to "be mindful of the living moment," since they were about to be overtaken by bounty hunters. The duchess covered her mouth, confusion obvious. General Kenobi had mentioned a similar bit of advice his Master used to tell him, and it was likely the Duchess had heard it on their year-long trip.

Cody wasn't entirely sure what to do. Would it be worse for the Duchess to know someone had seen her now, possibly making her defensive, or to try and draw her away if she hadn't made any connections yet?

They did _not_ cover this in training.

After a few frantic seconds (with some appropriately intense music in the background during the chase scene), he decided he would stay put. She'd only be embarrassed if he drew attention to her. Maybe she would just...leave? He saw her duck away and breathed out in relief.

Then some brothers walked in, loudly speaking over the movie until someone started throwing pillows at them.

And the Duchess peaked back around the door a few minutes later.

She didn't leave. Of course not. For the remainder of the two-hours-long movie, she stayed, peaking in when the coast was clear.

If Cody had thought the movie was too mature for Ahsoka, it was ten times worse with the Duchess herself watching. He wanted to melt into the floor as the two half-dressed young adults in one scene gazed at each other, lounging on a bed in a small apartment, with some troopers whistling in appreciation before being attacked by the more romantic troopers than wanted them to shut up. ("_Don't be crass, you morons!"_) Bless them.

At last, at last, the movie ended. Ahsoka started chattering to Korkie, even pulling out a datapad and showing him something on it. Some of his brothers moved, but most stayed where they were, comfy and happy.

And the Duchess was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Anakin was very proud of himself for paying attention to the whole meeting. The Council was discussing the best way to move forward with the Neutral Systems, and while he usually tended to zone out, he knew Padme would want to know all this stuff. You know, when he could actually talk to her. Eventually.

After a while, one of the council pointed out that Obi-Wan looked exhausted and should catch up on sleep. Anakin could apparently brief them on the non-negotiation part of their stay on Mandalore. Obi-Wan was so tired he didn't even argue, just nodded and shuffled out of the room.

When the door slid shut, Anakin was suddenly on the spot. He had an involuntary moment of panic, broken when Ki-Adi-Mundi leaned forward. "Well?" he prompted. "Has anything happened?"

Oh, right. Operation: Real-Life Happy Ending. "I think I know why they fell in love," Anakin said with a frown. "They're the most romantically oblivious people I've met. And both of them are really stubborn. All they talk about is the negotiations."

Exasperated sighs filled the room.

Yoda shook his head. "What I planned, this was not. Relax, he should." There was deliberating. Anakin honestly didn't know what else to do, so he stayed quiet and appreciated the sheer weirdness of the whole situation. _The Jedi High Council was trying to get his master and the Duchess together. _Mace had his head in his hands, Yoda was shaking his walking stick and muttering about breaking it over someone's head, Shaak Ti and Kit Fisto were arguing the pros and cons of literally locking them in a closet. The idea was thrown out to have one of them captured and make the other rescue them. They talked about that one for quite a while. ("_Everyone likes to be rescued, right?" "Yes, but no one wants to be captured in the first place."_)

Yoda finally tapped his stick on the ground to get everyone's attention. "An idea, I have had. Others, we shall send. Peace-makers. Help, they shall."

Mace finally looked up. "Give them a break, you mean? Hm. It might be beneficial to have more negotiators present, in many ways." After a while, he nodded. "Yes. Knight Skywalker."

Anakin stood a little straighter. "Yes?"

"We will contact others to join the bid for peace. Expect a few senators and at least one other Knight to join you on Mandalore."

Senators?! "Uh, do you know which senators you'll be asking?" If they didn't say Padme, he'd recommend her. He should probably recommend someone else as well so they wouldn't be too suspicious. Senator Organa?

Mace smiled (which was weird). "You'll be familiar with them. Don't worry." Then the meeting was over and the holocall ended, leaving Anakin wondering if he should call back and try to get them to invite Padme. In the end, he sighed and left the room, feeling almost as tired as Obi-Wan had looked earlier.

More Jedi? Senators? The next week or so would definitely be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

Korkie Kryze normally wasn't allowed to welcome diplomatic guests to Mandalore. There were the security risks, as well as the fact that he was usually at school. He was on holiday for the next few days, though, and his aunt had been so distracted recently that she didn't seem to realize he was standing next to her in the throne room. He had thought she was just incredibly focused on the ongoing negotiations with the rest of the Neutral Systems, but she kept glancing over at Master Kenobi, fidgeting with her hands, which was weird. His aunt was usually so composed.

Master Kenobi kept glancing over to her as well, somehow timing it perfectly so no actual eye contact between them was made, which was hilarious to Korkie.

The whole thing was a little surreal. Here he was, dressed very nicely (but nearly as nicely as his aunt), in a prime position to watch as two very important adults were completely awkward and in denial about how much they loved each other while waiting for more very important people.

At last the three senators, a Jedi, and some clone troopers whose armor was painted with bright yellow were shown into the room and introduced.

Senator Amidala of Naboo, he knew. She would visit Sundari sometimes. Today, she was (somehow) more elaborately dressed than his aunt, and Korkie wondered if her outfit was culturally significant or if she just liked wearing fancy clothes. Politicians were a weird bunch—it could be either one. Or both.

"The Senate is in a brief recess, so we were able to come here unnoticed," she was saying.

A senator he'd just met, Bail Organa of Alderaan, added, "I admit, we were worried about finding a way to slip away without drawing attention. It worked out for us, almost too well." Korkie liked this senator. He was a practical-looking man, dressed nicely but simply in neutral grays.

"But we are eager to help however we can," the third and final senator said. Riyo Chuchi of Pantora was remarkably young to be representing her system, but she looked determined. "This war has gone on long enough."

The new Jedi Knight, whose name he'd already forgotten, was speaking quietly to Master Kenobi, and he tried to focus in on what they were talking about. Jedi were always so mysterious (except for Ahsoka, but she was an apprentice and a teenager, so she didn't count). Surely they would talk about mysterious things. He closed his eyes and tried to catch the cadence of their voices.

"...been acting odd, yes. You probably haven't heard about the attachment revision yet, have you?" That was the new knight. She was a Twilek, and her name had a lot of a's in it, he remembered now.

"The attachment revision? No, we've been cut off from off-world communications except to meet with the council," Master Kenobi said. Wow, he even _sounded_ tired.

"Well, the short of it is that the Jedi Order is officially allowing attachments like romantic partners and families."

That...was that not a thing that was allowed for Jedi? Well, apparently it was now, but Ahsoka and the troops had been pretty invested in his aunt and Master Kenobi getting together before and they probably hadn't heard any recent Jedi news if off-world communication wasn't allowed. Weird.

"_What?_"

"Yes, it was quite a surprise. They didn't make a big announcement or anything, of course. I think they published a memo. Here, I'll pull it up for you." There was some shuffling as the knight presumably pulled out a data pad.

"A...a memo? Revising _attachment_? Is that _allowed_?" Master Kenobi's incredulity was tempered by exhaustion, but he still managed to sound pretty surprised.

"It's, well, there's a whole lot of gossip about why and why now and all the rest, but it's from the council, so…"

"I'm _on _the council and I've never even...is this some kind of prank, Aayla?"

Right! Aayla Secura. That was her name.

"A prank? What? No, I wouldn't prank about this. Here, see, signed and everything. Very official."

They were silent for a while. "Well then," came Master Kenobi's faint voice. "So it is."


	8. Chapter 8

Obi-Wan had informed Aayla about the current state of negotiations and had been promptly dismissed for the day. Apparently, he looked like a corpse and would only frighten people if he continued on. Charming.

He was too baffled to rest, though. A memo. One of the modern tenets of the Jedi, one that lasted over a thousand years, modified in a short note that he hadn't received.

On the one hand, this was wonderful. Maybe Anakin would finally talk to him about Padme.

(A quiet part of his heart sang _Satine_ but he didn't dare to hope. All the same, he found himself more eager to see her again. Alone, maybe, for a nice dinner. Maybe another garden stroll, no business talk. They'd been so busy and honestly deserved a break.)

On the other hand, _a memo_. A memo _he hadn't known about_.

Yes, negotiating for the Jedi with the Neutral Systems about the roles they would play in ending this war was exhausting, but the council could have _mentioned_ it.

Feeling peeved and confused, he walked back to the ballroom-barracks, Aayla's data pad still in hand.

The troopers stopped talking as he entered. Of course. They always did, these days. Were they just feeling distant because he'd barely seen them the weeks they'd been here? Had he done something especially egregious without realizing it? He'd have to ask Cody. The men tended to be more formal and distant the more uncomfortable or angry they were, after all. At least they still seemed to be on good terms with Anakin and Ahsoka.

He saw his padawans sitting off to the side of the room, tinkering with something that looked worryingly like an espionage droid. Ahsoka happened to look up and see him, her eyes going wide. She smacked Anakin's arm so he'd look up, and when he saw Obi-Wan, he quickly shoved their droid project behind him.

Did they think he was an idiot? Oh, well. As long as they didn't explode anything or start another Mandalorian-Jedi war, he'd leave them be.

"Here," he said, holding out the data pad. "Read this. It's from the Council." He knew he was being abrupt, but he was much too tired to care. Maybe Aayla had had the right idea to send him away for the negotiations to rest. Such curtness would not have gone over well with the representatives. He sat down on a nearby cot and pitched the bridge of his nose for a moment before taking a deep breath and returning his attention to his padawans.

He watched their faces as they read. It wasn't long (it was, after all, a memo, and therefore inherently short), but their expressions went through blank, confused, then excited.

"Is this for real?" Anakin said, beaming.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Apparently so. It's the first I've heard of it, but we've been without communication for a while." He stood and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, that reminds me. Knight Secura and Senators Chuchi, Organa, and Amidala have arrived." Anakin's smile grew wider, if at all possible. "They'll be busy until dinner, which we've been invited to." He gave them the details of where to be and when to be there, then shuffled over to his cot. "I'll just rest until then," he mumbled, and he was asleep within a minute of closing his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Satine surveyed the dining room, making sure everything was in order. There were enough places set, the servers were ready, and the food smelled divine.

Alright. Now to see how the guests were doing.

There was a small waiting room off to the side of the dining room where the senators and Knight Secura were present, chatting in a small group. They were just waiting on the other Jedi.

Pursing her lips, she wondered if she should send a messenger. Obi-Wan was usually very prompt, but he may have forgotten the time to be here—even if he had never done such a thing in all the time she had known him.

Almost as if her thoughts summoned them, the three errant Jedi stumbled through the door. Obi-Wan looked half asleep, Ahsoka helping him balance as he blinked blearily. Ah. He'd probably taken a nap and lost track of time. Good—he deserved a rest.

"Now that we're all here," she said, lightly clapping her hands together, "let's be seated for dinner."

She didn't end up sitting next to Obi-Wan, which was...less than ideal, but rather with Knight Skywalker and Senator Organa on either side of her where she sat at the head of the table. Obi-Wan was about as far away as it was possible for him to be, sitting next to Ahsoka and across from Senator Chuchi and valiantly trying to stay awake.

The Duchess nodded towards the servers, who stepped forward with the first course.

"Duchess," Anakin started before the food had even settled before him, "I just wanted to say, all of us and the troops have really enjoyed our stay here. Cody, Master Kenobi's commander, especially wanted you to know how appreciative everyone is."

Satine smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Thank you." Even if part of her soul shuddered every time she remembered that _soldiers_ were camped out in one of the ballrooms.

Anakin, apparently, was not anywhere near finished extolling Obi-Wan's "excellent" troops. He talked a bit about routines and how the commander kept his troops busy while they were stationed, then went on about how the 212th was one of the most effective groups in the GAR. "And it does make sense, really, that they're so well-behaved and effective. They have Master Kenobi for a leader!" And then, for whatever reason—honestly, Satine couldn't fathom why Anakin thought it would be a good idea—he started to recount several times that Obi-Wan had gotten "into trouble" and his troops had rushed in to rescue him, only to find Obi-Wan had gotten himself out of whatever life-threatening situation he was in and was just waiting on them for a ride and medical attention.

Satine's hand shook for a moment, enough that she had to put down her fork. She had assumed, perhaps naively, that her Obi would be in more of an advisory role, a stay-behind general. Oh, but of course he wouldn't be. He'd be out there in battle, leading his troops, drawing fire away from his men to give them the chance to survive and win the day. He'd done the same sort of things years ago when protecting her—of course he wouldn't change.

Anakin seemed to think her wide-eyed expression was from being impressed rather than being terrified. He then launched into more stories of Obi-Wan risking his life. Padme, at least, seemed to understand that Satine didn't want to hear more tales of Obi-Wan in danger and was gently trying to steer the oblivious Jedi toward safer topics from her seat next to Senator Organa.

It was a difficult dinner, to say the least.

Afterwards, long after the guests had left for their respective rooms, Satine exited the dining room after thanking the staff for their excellent service to find one Jedi Master standing there waiting for her.

"We didn't really have a chance to talk tonight," Obi-Wan said with a gentle smile, holding out his arm for her to take. "I thought I might walk you to your rooms?

She quickly slipped her hand through his arm, bringing up her other hand as well and pressing close to his side. "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

He seemed a little flustered by her closeness but started walking. "I noticed Anakin had a lot to say during dinner," he said. "I'm afraid I couldn't hear what he said, being so far away, but it seemed to distress you. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

She huffed. "It was only stories, really. He seemed to think I'd be impressed by war and violence."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Oh, Anakin. Please, put whatever he said out of your mind. He means well, but he goes about showing it in clumsy ways. I'll let him know he's upset you and it won't happen again."

Satine almost said that it was fine, that he didn't need to worry about it, but the thought of dealing with another dinner being reminded that the man she loved was almost constantly in danger was terrible, so she just nodded.

They walked on, chatting about this and that, a far cry from their previous conversations of late, fraught with nerves and the tension of trying to end a war in a way that avoided more bloodshed.

The journey to her rooms seemed to take half the time it normally did, and all too soon, Obi-Wan had stepped away to let her go.

But—and this was a surprise to be sure—he took her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles, the brush of his beard delightful against her skin.

Dazed, she almost missed his question: "Would you like to join me for a walk through the gardens tomorrow?"

_Yes! Yes, yes, yes!_ "I would love to. Perhaps...we could have a private dinner beforehand? Just the two of us? We haven't had much time to ourselves."

He smiled. He was still tired, she could see, but he looked happier than he'd been the whole rest of his stay here. "That would be wonderful, my dear. I'll see you tomorrow."

And he was gone before she had processed the fact that he'd called her something affectionate. She couldn't help the smile on her face as she pressed her hand to her lips. "Until then, my darling."


End file.
